Smallville includes many powerful characters in addition to Clark Kent. Airing over the course of a decade from 2001 to 2011, Smallville focuses on a young Clark Kent (Tom Welling) as he learns of his Kryptonian heritage, hones his powers, and develops a friendship with Lex Luthor (Michael Rosenbaum). Under the guidance of his Kryptonian father Jor-El, Clark eventually embraces his destiny as Superman and meets a wide variety of DC Comics heroes and villains.
While Smallville serves as a Superman origin series first and foremost, he is far from the only character on the show to possess superpowers. Not only does the series boast multiple Justice League and Justice Society characters, but many of Smallville‘s villains also possess metahuman abilities themselves. Here are the 10 most powerful characters to appear on Smallville.
Hawkman
As the reincarnation of the Egyptian prince Khufu, Carter Hall a.k.a. Hawkman (Michael Shanks) wields weaponry, armor and wings comprised of the indestructible alloy known as Nth metal. These enhance his strength and durability metahuman levels, enabling Carter to stand his ground even against Kryptonian adversaries. These abilities and Carter’s leadership skills make him a key player on both the Justice Society of America and the Justice League on Smallville.
Doctor Fate
Another of the JSA’s founding members, Kent Nelson (Brent Stait) becomes a metahuman with vast magical and telepathic powers when he dons his helmet to become Doctor Fate. Plus, Doctor Fate’s helmet grants him the ability to see far into the future, with Fate telling Clark that he will lead “a silver age of heroism” in his future. Doctor’s Fate’s powers also enable him to restore deactivated powers in other metahumans, which Fate does for Martian Manhunter (Phil Morris) in the Smallville two-part episode “Absolute Justice.”
Bizarro
Smallville‘s version of Bizarro is an escaped wraith from the Phantom Zone who takes on Clark’s likeness and Kryptonian abilities after copying a sample of his DNA. As such, Bizarro wields all the abilities of a Kryptonian under Earth’s yellow sun, and is a highly formidable villain for Clark to take down. However, his great power is also used against him when Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) hits him with Blue Kryptonite, causing his powers to overload and Bizarro to explode.
Martian Manhunter
On Smallville, J’onn J’onzz is an old Martian confidante of Jor-El’s who becomes one of Clark Kent’s closest allies. Like his comic book counterpart, Martian Manhunter’s powers are vast, and include flight, super-strength, invisibility, shape-shifting, telepathy, and numerous other powers. In all, Martian Manhuter is just as powerful on Smallville as he is in the comics, though he also shares his comic book namesake’s weaknesses for fire, and more humrously, Oreos.
Doomsday
Doomsday is known around the world as the beast who killed Superman in The Death of Superman comics story, and Smallville re-imagines him as troubled paramedic David Bloome (Sam Witwer), who was sent to Earth alongside Kal-El. Davis’s volatile DNA causes him to regularly morph into Smallville‘s version of Doomsday, and in this form, he is a violent, unstoppable beast with super-strength and bony protrusions, and one who kills in excess of 50 people on the show. Davis and Doomsday are eventually separated with Black Kryptonite, but not after Doomsday gives Clark a very challenging fight.
Kara Zor-El/Supergirl
Clark’s Kryptonian cousin Kara Zor-El (Laura Vandervoort) lands on Earth years before he does, and emerges in possession of the full Krpytonian power set and strength-level. Unlike Clark, the future Supergirl can fly from the start, but she has less control over her other powers (particularly heat vision) compared to Clark, who has had a longer time on Earth to master them. Still, with Clark’s help, Kara gains greater control of her abilities to become the heroic Supergirl.
Zod
Zod is first introduced on Smallville in season 5’s ending as a wraith from the Phantom Zone who possesses Lex Luthor, with Callum Blue physically playing a younger Zod in season 9. At first, Zod and his fellow Kryptonian’s lack their powers due to an issue with their DNA’s preservation in a Kryptonian orb created by Jor-El, but once fully powered, Zod is a devastating force wielding the full might of a Kryptonian. While a de-powered Zod later returns in season 10 ruling over Smallville‘s version of the Phantom Zone, Zod is nonetheless as powerful as any Kryptonian on the show.
Jor-El
Smallville shows Jor-El in different forms and at various points in his life, with Tom Welling and Julian Sands playing him at different ages and Terrence Stamp voicing him as the Fortress of Solitude’s ethereal presence. While visiting Smallville as a young man, Jor-El posseses all the Kryptonian powers his son Kal-El comes to develop. Meanwhile, even as a disembodied voice in the Fortress, Jor-El possesses tremendous power, including warping people in and out of the Fortress, the power to resurrect the dead, and other vast abilities less tangible than most Kryptonians’ powers.
Darkseid
DC’s greatest villain Darkseid rules over the planet Apokolips, wielding the power of the Omega Sanction in his quest to bring all life under his control. Smallville presents Darkseid in a ghostly form, and establishes him as a force that has darkened the hearts of humanity at various points of history. After possessing the Lionel Luthor (John Glover) of another universe, Darkseid’s efforts to merge Earth with Apolokips fail when Clark becomes Superman, flies through him, and moves Apokolips away from Earth. However, the Smallville Season 11 comic book continuation establishes that Darkseid was able to return to his physical form, showing the extent of his power and invulnerability.
Superman
It should come as no surprise that the most powerful character on Smallville is, of course, the Man of Steel himself. Smallville introduces a teenage Clark Kent with his powers still growing, but even as early as the show’s pilot, Clark’s vast super-strength and super-speed are already at immense levels. Over the course of Smallville, Clark’s additional powers of heat vision, super-hearing, arctic breath, and others develop and contribute greatly to his arsenal, with Clark has also learning to fly by Smallville‘s final episode. With Clark Kent fully becoming Superman in the show’s final minutes, he stands out as the most powerful character on Smallville.
